6-letter words with K as the 1st letter and N as the 2nd letter

KNIGHT, KNIVES, KNICKS and KNOCKS are the familiar four, and the rest lean on the silent-K digraph. Nineteen matches end in S and nine in Y, and every one of those nine Y-endings is an adjective. KNACKY scores 19 to lead the list.

The KN- pattern at a glance

• 35 matches, and every one starts KN-.
• Nineteen end in S and nine in Y, all nine Y words adjectives.
• KNACKY leads on 19; KNOBBY and KNUBBY follow on 17.
• KNACKS, KNICKS and KNOCKS tie on 16.
• KNIGHT, KNIVES, KNICKS and KNOCKS are the common words.

Which KN- words fit the frame

KNIGHT, KNIVES and KNACKS show how little the frame constrains the middle. KNIFED, KNIFES and KNIFER keep the KN- start around a knife stem, while KNEADS, KNEELS and KNELLS form a KNE- run and KNOLLS and KNOBBY share a KNO- opening. KNAVES keeps the same KN- start with different middle tiles, so a solver working from KN alone still has many branches to test.

The nine Y-endings are the most useful group: KNACKY, KNOBBY, KNOTTY, KNURLY, KNARLY, KNAGGY, KNARRY, KNOLLY and KNUBBY. A clue that fixes a final Y and an N-second lands here almost by default.

Scores and dictionary coverage

KNACKY spends two K tiles for 19, ahead of KNOBBY and KNUBBY on 17, each with a doubled B. KNACKS, KNICKS and KNOCKS tie on 16, and KNAGGY, KNITCH, KNIGHT and KNIFED reach 15 or 14. Because the silent K is fixed, the middle letters decide every match.

The 13.1 average is high for a silent-K set because the five-point K is always first. Collins holds all 35 while NWL2023 keeps 27 and ENABLE 25; check your game's word list before playing KNARRY. No match scores below 10, and the ceiling is KNACKY on 19.